Depression in Rainy Season
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The rainy season is here again with its lengthy days and nights, as it is time to water the dry land.
However, for certain people this rainy weather can cause depression.
Some will just suffer a slight case of the blues, while others may need to see their psychiatrist to cure their enervation. Some say just looking at the raindrops makes them want to cry.
Unlike ordinary depression causing sleepless nights or a loss of appetite, people suffering from seasonal depression can feel extreme fatigue, an increased appetite and little motivation, which can lead to weight gain. Women have double the chance of suffering from this kind of depression than men.
According to Prof. Jeon Hong-jin of Samsung Medical Center, a lot of rain and little sun can bring the blues to people due to a lack of melatonin, a neurotransmitter. ``It is a hormone that comes out at night and controls biorhythm,'' said Hong-jin.
Experts have yet to identify the exact causes of these symptoms but Jeon says lack of sunlight certainly contributes. In fact, about 4-5 percent of the population in northern European countries, where darkness overcomes sunlight through autumn to mid spring, suffer from depression while those living near the equator have little depression.
``Just as plants cannot live without light, sunlight influences the metabolism of human bodies. But in Korea, the symptoms are rather mild,'' said the professor.
Other experts suggest that exposure to sunlight can ease tension in the body. Noted psychiatrist Sohn Chang-ho advised that one should take a walk when it is not raining and try to see the dawn.
``Looking at sunrise early in the morning could soothe your mentality. Do not draw the curtains to get some `deep sleep.' It will block the first sunlight of the day,'' he said.
Hospitals treat patients suffering from depression with artificial light that has the same frequency as that of the sun. ``Try to be exposed to sunlight as much as possible. That's a way to overcome seasonal depression,'' he added.